1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to kitchen and cooking utensils. More particularly it relates to garlic presses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The garlic press is a common and widely used utensil in more home and restaurant kitchens. Notwithstanding that the basic design has long been known, certain problems remain.
First, the clove of garlic should be able to be pressed cleanly and smoothly, so that the liquid is expressed from the clove by crushing rather than by tearing the clove apart. Torn portions of clove impede the travel of the press plate in the clove crushing chamber and may prevent full expression of the liquid. Further, once the clove has been crushed and the liquid extracted, the residue should be easily removable from the device. Some prior art presses have had a low-friction composition applied to the interior surfaces of the press chamber to improve the crushing and removal of the clove. However, the prior art coatings have been difficult to apply, especially to apply evenly, and do not adhere to the interior of the press as well as has been desired.
Second, during crushing it is common for bits of garlic to be forced into or through the sieve holes at the bottom of the chamber. Even after the bulk of the residue of a crushed clove has been removed from the press, these bits of the crushed clove will remain lodged in the sieve holes and must be separately removed. Removal, however, must not damage or enlarge the sieve holes, since their size is specifically designed to allow passage of the expressed liquid but to bar passage of substantially all of the crushed garlic clove. Cleaners have been designed in the past with prongs to be pushed upwardly through the holes from the exit side of the sieve to dislodge any garlic particles into the press chamber, from which they can be rinsed away. Such cleaning devices, however, have been separate from the press itself, which means that they often gets lost or at least are difficult or inconvenient to find at the time that the chef needs to clean a garlic press.
It is impractical for a cleaner to be attached to a press by some sort of tether. The latter merely interferes with the convenient use of the press, and will quickly be removed and discarded by the user. Other possible solutions, such as a cleaner pivoted on the press produces significant mechanical problems, which have not been overcome in a manner which still allows economical production and sale of such a press.
It would therefore be of value to have a press which permits smooth and easy pressing of a clove and removal of the residue, including easy cleaning of the sieve holes, after use. It would also be of value to have a cleaner with a structure such that is can simply and reliably clean any residue caught in sieve holes and can be easily and conveniently stowed within the press itself where it remains readily available but does not interfere in any manner with the use of the press.